1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) device and a method for manufacturing the same, capable of preventing problems (i.e., movement of balls, damage to the surfaces that face spacers upon application of predetermined pressure, and variation in cell gap) associated with the use of the ball spacers.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
With the progress of an information-dependent society, the demand for various display devices has increased. To meet such a demand, efforts have recently been made to research flat panel display devices such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma display panels (PDPs), electro-luminescent displays (ELDs) and vacuum fluorescent displays (VFDs). Some types of such flat panel displays are being practically applied to various appliances for display purposes.
Of these, LCDs are currently most widely used as substitutes for cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in association with mobile image display devices because LCDs have the advantages of superior picture quality, lightness, slimness, and low power consumption. Various applications of LCDs are being developed in association with not only mobile image display devices such as monitors of notebook computers, but also monitors of TVs to receive and display broadcast signals, and monitors of laptop computers.
Successful application of such LCDs to diverse image display devices depends on whether or not the LCDs can realize desired high picture quality including high resolution, high brightness, large display area, and the like, while maintaining desired characteristics of lightness, slimness and low power consumption.
Hereinafter, a conventional LCD device will be described with reference to the annexed drawings.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a conventional LCD device.
The conventional LCD device comprises a first substrate 1 and a second substrate 2 that face each other, a liquid crystal layer (not shown) filled between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 and a column spacer 20 to maintain the thickness of the liquid crystal layer.
The column spacer 20 is arranged in a region provided above a gate line 4. That is, the gate line 4 is arranged on the first substrate 1, a gate insulating film 15 is arranged over the entire surface of the first substrate 1 including the gate line 4, and a passivation film 16 is arranged on the gate insulating film 15.
A black matrix layer 7 is formed on the second substrate 2 to shield non-pixel regions (i.e., portions where gate and data lines, and thin film transistors are formed) other than pixel regions. In addition, a color filter layer, comprising R, G and B color filters arranged at respective pixel regions, is formed on the second substrate 2 including the black matrix layer 7. A common electrode 14 is formed over the entire surface of the second substrate 2 including the color filter layer 8.
The column spacer 20 is formed on the common electrode 14 in a region corresponding to the gate line 4. Accordingly, the first and second substrates 1 and 2 are joined together such that the column spacer 20 is arranged above the gate line 4.
The column spacer 20 is formed in an array process performed on the first substrate 1 or the second substrate 2. The column spacer 20 is fixedly formed in the form of a column with a certain height on the predetermined substrate.
The column spacer 20 is fixed in a specific position. Accordingly, it is advantageous that the column spacer 20 does not move and thus has no negative effect on the flow of liquid crystals, when the liquid crystals are dropped for the formation of the liquid crystal layer. However, the column spacer has a large area in contact with the corresponding substrate, thus disadvantageously causing display defects, e.g., touch defects.